Thursday, July 9, 2009

Hello listeners, this is Lucas Gillan, one of the music programmers for ChitownSmoothJazz.com, and I'd like to let you know about a very cool event going on this coming Wednesday, July 15. Local non-profit organization Urban Aspirations will be presenting a fundraiser concert at Sikia Restaurant, 740 W. 63rd Street, featuring the immensely talented young trumpeter Corey Wilkes and local legend, pianist Ken Chaney. These are two of the hottest musicians on the Chicago jazz and smooth jazz scenes, and will definitely put on an exciting show.

The purpose of the event is to raise money for Urban Aspirations' Young Natives program, which gives young musicians in Chicago the opportunity to perform on stage with professional jazz musicians in weekly jam sessions at Sikia restaurant, which is on the campus of Kennedy-King College. You can read a blog post about a recent jam session here. Look how young those kids are! They have everybody from elementary school kids to college students jamming together. You can also read a report form ChiTown Daily News on a recent session here.

There are just about zero other opportunities for young kids on the south side to go to jam sessions and get the experience of performing on stage with professional musicians, an essential experience for any aspiring musician. This series is a godsend for dozens of kids and should be supported whenever possible. Get your tickets here now, and don't wait, because you can only buy them through Friday, July 10!